Mr Potter, the story so far…

SWH: How and why was Mr Potter conceived? Vins: Mr.Potter was born during a night spent at one of our university dormroom where we used to hangout together during winter rainy evenings. Weirdly enough that night we ended up talking about the dark side of fashion. From the outrageous living conditions of the people that manufacture our clothes, to the harmful chemicals that we are unknowingly exposed to. The unjustified harassment of innocent animals sold as luxury and the stereotypes we are forced to compare and omologate ourselves with in order to attain and maintain our social status. All of this got us asking how could it be better? how could we actively contribute to trigger a counter-trend and inspire others to change for the better?

Well, the answer wasn’t pretty straightforward but f it’s true that to change an existing paradigm what you need to do is creating a new model that makes the old one obsolete, then the only real chance we had to make an impact was to come out with something that could consistently show people that nice original and unique products can be ethically and sustainably created just with a pinch of willingness to break out of the ordinary. We went on and on shooting ideas before coming out with something worth giving a try. And actually when Joe first mentioned ceramics the reaction was a loud laugh… but five minutes later we were yahooing the properties of ceramics and just few hours later the first bow tie sketches came out. Since than we loved the idea just more and more one step after the other.

SWH: Why ceramic? Vins: Ceramic is a totally eco-friendly material handcrafted and handpaintend with ancient techniques that are handed down by generations of artisans. It comes straight from the Earth and – when its use is over – returns to it. Ceramics is beautiful, practical, incredibly resistant and can take a wide variety of shapes and forms. It is one of the most durable materials available to humans, and for millennia it has been used to create drinking vessels, jugs, plates, vases and even jewellery. So why not treasuring the past while pushing forward? By handcrafting meaningful and unconventional pieces that have no impact on the environment and can potentially last forever Mr.Potter want to challenge the traditional understanding of fashion accessories.

SWH: Where does the inspiration behind the designs come from? Joe: All our designs are inspired to everyday life moods and philosophies and try to express concepts that we want to embrace and messages that we are eager to communicate. We all left our passions guide us through and attempted to realise something that truly spoke our heart. However we know that we are not the only ones out there with such an unconscious art instinct and it is not always easy for emerging designers to have the attention they deserve, though. So, we are truly thinking to take all those people onboard and collaborate for bringing out collections with even more meaningful, extravagant and unconventional motives and patterns. Stay in touch, we will certainly let SWH know :D

SWH: How did you find your supplier and was the ethical side of it a consideration? Joe: Italy is very well known for its art and craft traditions and it is not just an oldish thing. there is plenty of young artists that work independently and make huge efforts to innovate their workshops and improve their practices. The use of renewable energy, carfull handling of machinery and monitoring of temperatures along with shared vision and values were some of our priorities when selecting our suppliers. Looking back at those days and decisions, we all say that it has definitely been the best move made so far.

SWH: How long has it taken you to reach this point? Marcelo: Well we wouldn’t say we have reached our point yet and we still see a very long way to go. Our journey is only at the beginning and what we truly want to achieve with Mr.Potter is inspire people to shape a better future. We are committed to unleash the power of the internet and social media to build up an ever expanding community of people with which we can share meaningful information, values and ideas . We don’t expect it to be easy to stand out in the overpopulated landscape of today fashion industry but – nonetheless – we are confident that with a powerful message, loads of passion and limitless effort everyone can have his voice heard.

SWH: What are your future plans? Marcelo: For the winter season we are preparing to take Mr.Potter out to craft markets and ethical fashion fairs across the UK where we can have the opportunity to establish a deeper connection with our customers and spread our vision through the power of a warm smile. But there are also many other ideas, shapes, initiatives and expansions that we are working on right now… can’t say too much but it’s the case to say that the best is yet to come :)

Women

A wide selection of stylish fashion clothing for all occasions including: dresses, tops, knitwear, skirts, eveningwear, coats, suits, jackets and more. Styles to suit a variety of tastes from classic to vintage and more in between: recycled and upcycled. This is sustainable ethical fashion at it's best.

Men

If you're looking for something eco or ethical to wear for dress down friday, a casual weekend or holiday, you'll find it here. Tops, t-shirts, jeans, trousers from mainly fairtrade and organic cotton.

Kids

Green fashion for kids is fun and made mainly from natural fibres including organic cotton and Fairtrade cotton. From baby to early teens, there's something to make all kids happy. Bright colours, animals, fun shapes that children can wear all year round.

Accessories

A treasure trove of accessories from around the world can be found here. A vast selection of jewellery including necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings to shoes, hats, bags, handbags and scarves. Whatever your style, these items will complete any outfit.